Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-06-11
MORE ABOUT THE STONE FORT
GHOST.
Nashville American,

~ IN -
article-an editorial-in The Ameri-
can a few days ago, in which some
illusions were made to the above
celebrated ghost
suppose no Tennessee ghost ever
made. such sad havoc of the fortune
and fame of its victims as the n
which appeared among the wooded
hills around the Old Stone Fort, in
Coffee county, about twilight one
evening some. fifty years ago. And,
as the principal sufferer from his
ghostship was Maj. Len Sims, a near
neighbor of my father, although l
was only a boy then, l was quite
familiar with the whole affair from
beginning to end, and, with your
permission, | will give you the fol-
lowing history of it:
AT the time my history begins,
Maj. Sims was living near Middle
ton, Rutherford county. He was a
very clever mana gentleman in
every sense of the woodland very
popular in his neighborhood, and
even in his county, which he had
represented in the State Legislature,
having beaten for that office.eX-Gov.
Cannon, a man of high and extended
reputation.
The Major was a great lover of the
sport of fox hunting and deer hunt
ing, and as game had become some
what scarce inhis own neighborhood,
he concluded to take a hunt in the
country around the old Stone Fort,
which was then a sort of paradise fol-
hunters. With that intention, in
company with a few choice friends,
he repaired to that place at the time
alluded to above. His friends were
frst-class gentlemen, most of them in
easy circumstances, some of them, as
Mai. Jack Fletcher, had seen service
in the Seminole war, and they
were called the chivalry Of Ruther
ford county.
The party went on fine horses, wei
equipped, accompanied by wagons
and servants, with plenty to eat ant
drink, and of the best quality.
On the day after their arrival they
hunted very successfully around thu
Fort until the shades of evening be
gan to thicken around them, wheI
they assembled at their encampt
ment on the bank of n of thu
branches of Barren Fork, near TIL
Fort, where they were enjoyin!
themselves in %recounting the adven
lures of the day, and drinking a lit
tie of their good brandy, while thei
servants were preparing their supper
Now it so happened that the boy
of the Stone Fort did not relish tn
idea of hunters from abroad comm.
into their neighborhoOd and KILN.
up the deer and other game that the,
considered their own prey, and the
conceived the bold plan of scarin
them out Of the country. To accom-
plish which they constructed a dunn
bull and a horse fiddle, as the sequf
will show, and with these terribl
instruments stationed themselves i
thick woods above and around tn
camp Of the hunters, and as soon as
was dark enough for their purpose
one of them commenced playing o
his dumb bull. The hunters wei
startled from their revelry. 500
the noise was heard in another dire
ton, and then again in another. TIL
hunters put on a bold front and BILE
their horns and called up their dos
and fired off their guns a few time
in the directions from whence tt
noises came. But it all did no gooC
the noise came nearer and lOude
and still nearer and louder. I'll
hunters stood their ground bravel
for awhile, but tinallycOncluded TIL
some awful ghost of those unbrOke
forests had become displeased wit
them in some way and was aft,
them for some fell purpose. I
length Sims saw the ghost passir
through the air over their heads wit
his wife's bonnet on its head and
shot at it, but that did not disturb i
movements. A panic, seized Il
hunters and they hurriedly gathert
up their horses and wagons al
stampeded, leaving their suppe
cooking on the fire and a bottle
brandy lying at the root Of a tire,
and they never stopped until the
felt that they were out of reach of {
danger from the awful ghost. II
next day they proceeded on to the
homes in Rutherford county. I
they had returned sooner than thu